1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cap used for male connectors and female connectors and to a connector having such a cap.
2. Description of the Related Art
A prior art connector is identified by the numeral 100 in FIGS. 16 and 17 and is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 7-32868. The prior art connector 100 is a male connector for accommodating male terminal fittings (not shown) therein, and is provided at its front part with a hood 101 for surrounding tabs of the male terminal fittings. A dust preventing cap 102 is provided at a front opening of the hood 101.
The hood 101 makes the prior art male connector 100 larger in vertical and transverse directions. Some installations have only a limited available space for the male connector 100. Thus, the male connector 100 may be forced to be smaller by omitting the hood 101. A module connector to be accommodated in a block connector does not require a hood after being accommodated in a main housing if a main connector is provided with a hood.
However, if the hood 101 is omitted from the male connector to solve the above described space problems, tabs of male terminal fittings are exposed from the front surface of the connector without being surrounded. Thus, the tabs may be deformed or broken if the male connector is left unconnected with a mating female connector.
In view of the above problem, an object of the present invention is to provide a hood-less (or receptacle-less) type connector capable of preventing fitting projecting portions, in particular tabs, from being deformed and/or broken and to provide a cap for that purpose. Another object of the present invention is to provide a simply constructed module connector of a block connector.